In the food processing industry, the cleaning of equipment is a significant problem. In many applications, the high temperatures employed cause difficult-to-remove organic deposits, such as baked-on carbon and hydrolyzed protein, to form on the equipment. In the dairy industry, for example, the pasteurizing equipment is heated to temperatures in excess of 160.degree. F. to sterilize dairy products. At such temperatures, a blue-black organic deposit, that is very difficult to remove with known cleaners, commonly forms on the equipment.
Caustic cleaners are commonly used to remove organic deposits but caustic cleaners are unsafe and require substantially elevated temperatures to work effectively and are extremely difficult to remove by rinsing. Many caustic cleaners, such as those incorporating sodium hydroxide, are corrosive to skin and produce hazardous fumes. Such caustic cleaners can also corrode or scar metal (e.g., aluminum and brass), and destroy many types of floor, wall and countertop surfaces. For instance, sodium hydroxide should not be used on aluminum since reactions will occur which are corrosive to the metal. At temperatures in excess of 160.degree. F., which are normally required to remove organic deposits, caustic cleaners can consume oxygen. In tanks and other types of substantially closed vessels, the consumption of oxygen can cause a decrease in the internal pressure of the vessel leading to vessel collapse. To remove the caustic cleaners, an elaborate set of steps is followed, typically requiring high temperatures and neutralization.
To avoid the problems associated with caustic cleaners, noncaustic cleaners, which are typically not as effective as caustic cleaners, are employed in many applications. Because of the reduced effectiveness of the noncaustic cleaners, additional time and labor is required to remove stubborn organic deposits. Noncaustic cleaners are sometimes initially used to remove a portion of the organic deposits with the remainder being removed by caustic cleaners. In this manner, the use of caustic cleaners is reduced as much as possible.
There is a need for a non-hazardous cleaner for removing organic deposits, such as those encountered in the food industry, that is safe to use and will not damage the surfaces to be cleaned. Particularly, there is a need to provide a cleaner that is noncorrosive to skin and the surfaces to be cleaned and that will not consume oxygen at high temperatures.
There is a further need to provide a cleaner that is capable of removing organic deposits at relatively low temperatures.
There is a further need for an all purpose cleaner having a wide range of applications, including the removal of organic deposits from deep fat fryers or bakery pans, to replace caustic and noncaustic cleaners.